5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Przewalski’s Horses

The only true wild horse that remains!

What a unique animal! The Przewalski’s horse is an ancestor of the domesticated horse. These truly wild relatives have distinguishing features that make them easy to identify. While they’re very similar to your modern-day horse, you won’t find these guys in the riding arena. 1. The Przewalski’s horse is on the endangered list. The species has went from extinct in the wild to its current endangered status. Many of them exist in captivity, but only a few, roughly 300, can be found in the wild. 2. Known as the “P-horse” for short, the Polish word Przewalski comes from Colonel Nikolai Przhevalsky. Though depictions of the horse were noted earlier, many thought this Russian explorer first discovered them. 3. These wild horses lived in Europe and Asia 10,000-15,000 years ago. The last few were spotted in Mongolia before their extinction. Captive-bred ones were reintroduced to Mongolia in later years. 4. Przewalski’s horses have a small and stocky built, and are known to have large heads and thick necks. They’re dun colored with a mane that sticks up like a zebras. 5. Their life span is up to 36 years of age. Are you intrigued by these rare horses? See them in person at the San Diego Zoo!